Hey guys! So I know it's been a while since I've updated my ongoing stories, and this one-shot is an apology for that! lol
I'm still working on them, I swear! But with school and work, it's been hard to find the time!
(Because with multi-chapter fics, I have to reread the previous few chapters to make sure I'm staying within the storyline and not repeating myself lol)
But I'm still trying!
Thanks for your patience!
And I hope you enjoy this fluff/smut/angst story!
Disclaimer: I don't own TVD or any of the characters from it.
The sound of a whistle being blown, the cheers of the crowd in the stands, coaches shouting plays from the sideline, the band playing some number in the distance…
For Elena Gilbert, this was the essence of a good Friday night.
It was easy to ignore the glare of the stadium lights as she helped lower the squad's flyer and joined in on the chant.
"Let's go Timberwolves, let's go!" Two claps. "Let's go Timberwolves, let's go!"
The fans joined in until the unison of cheers could be heard from the visitor's side.
Then there was an eruption of ecstatic screams; ones Elena would guess meant that Mystic Falls had just scored the winning touchdown.
She was right.
It was an hour before all the craziness had wound down enough to leave the field.
Families, students, and visitors alike were making their way to the parking lot, talking, congratulating, or trying to avoid stepping in someone's leftover concession stand purchase.
After grabbing their bags, Elena walked with Caroline Forbes, her best friend and team captain, out to her car.
"Don't forget that we still have practice on Monday!" Caroline called out to some other squad members before they could disperse among the vehicles.
"Care," Elena swatted her arm playfully, "No shop talk tonight, okay? Let's just enjoy the win!"
After adjusting her blonde ponytail, Caroline sighed.
"Fine. Then let's talk enjoyment," she said as they reached Elena's SUV, "Are you going to the after party? I'll drive if you don't want to."
"At Tyler's?" Elena asked, unlocking the doors and throwing her bag into the seat, before fishing out a pair of jeans.
"I think so, Tyler mentioned it earlier," Caroline said, leaning against the frame on the passenger's side, "And man, I still seriously love your car!"
Elena smirked as she stepped out of her cheer skirt, making sure her door was blocking her from too many public eyes.
Caroline laughed, "We could have stopped by the dressing room."
"We could have," Elena admitted as she stepped into her jeans, "But you know how packed it probably is? Volleyball game was tonight too, remember?"
"Whatever," the blonde shrugged, "But you might want to hurry before someone sees you."
"Too late for that!" a male voice called as she finished sliding her jeans up, and it was followed by a wolf whistle.
Both girls turned at the sound to see Damon Salvatore making his way over, hood sliding across someone's Toyota in the process.
The definition of tall, dark, and handsome, Damon was the Timberwolves' running back and had more of a reputation with the ladies than half the team combined.
The Quarterback, Matt Donovan, was walking close behind him, followed by their teammate Tyler Lockwood.
The three had stripped off their padding, but still wore their jerseys, which were stained with dirt and grass from the night's game.
"Thanks for the show, Gilbert," Damon fired off as soon as he was next to her car, "It was really appreciated."
He drew the word out, letting his eyes roam down her body a good time or two.
Elena rolled her eyes, "Classy as ever, Salvatore. And here I was hoping that concussion you got last game would knock some decency into you."
"I remain diligently stubborn," he assured her, before lifting his chin in acknowledgement at Caroline, "You two coming to the party?"
"We were just wondering where we were celebrating," Caroline answered him, "Last I heard, the team was heading out the the Lockwood place?"
Tyler nodded, stepping forward, "Yeah, Dad's gone tonight and my mom doesn't really give a shit, as long as we keep the noise level down. Muller and Williams are bringing some kegs though, so we'll probably set up in the woods."
The woods on the Lockwood land were massive and off limits to anyone without security clearance to be on the property, but Tyler had his own passcode that changed weekly, so he was usually the first to volunteer the space when the need arose.
Being a member of one of Mystic Falls' founding families had its perks, after all.
"Mason and some of his friends will probably be there too," Tyler added, "I think they're grabbing some beer as well. You wanna bring the good stuff?" he asked Damon, who grinned, "Only if you promise not to get shit faced and drunk dial the entire cheer squad this time."
Tyler frowned as the girls laughed.
"He's got a point," Elena nodded, "Most of us didn't appreciate being woken up at three a.m."
"Speaking of appreciation," Damon smirked, turning his attention to her, "I have to say, Gilbert, Red is definitely your color."
Figuring he was referring to the flash of underwear he'd caught, she rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder, "Well, I hope you enjoyed the show while it lasted."
"It's hardly the first eyeful I've gotten," he winked, "And I doubt it'll be the last."
Elena shook her head, "Dream on, Salvatore."
Damon was a notorious flirt, there was no getting around that, but he was also fun to hang out with and was always ready with a quick comeback whenever she was in the mood to indulge him.
Over the years, their friendship, if you could call it that, had remained limited to school and the occasional Founder's Parties that their parents dragged them to, but since he'd started on the football team last year, they saw each other considerably more. And despite the fact that he enjoyed ruffling her feathers, they'd grown closer through the proximity of their sports.
Not that anyone actually knew why Damon was even on the team.
He was a decent player, but more often than not, he was showing up to practice hungover, if not actually drunk, and trying to flirt with whatever female population happened to be around at the time.
Which didn't exactly scream commitment.
Though, according to the rumors, which were whispered quite loudly in this town, it was his father that wanted him on the team and Damon had just done so to appease him.
Elena wasn't sure about that.
Damon didn't really seem the type to care what his parents thought, one way or the other, especially his father, given their...situation.
In a town as small as Mystic Falls, there weren't many secrets that stayed private.
So eighteen years ago, when respectable, married Giuseppe Salvatore had gotten a woman pregnant that wasn't his wife, the news had spread like wildfire.
Damon had grown up bearing the Salvatore name, but that hadn't stopped everyone from knowing he was Giuseppe's bastard.
A difficulty that, she imagined, had only increased when his half brother, Stefan, had been born.
However, he and Damon didn't seem to hold any resentments toward each other, so perhaps all the talk was exactly that.
Just talk.
"I do enjoy dreaming of you, Gilbert," he played along to her teasing, as his gaze ran down her legs again, "It'll be nice to have some new material."
Refusing to allow Damon's pretty blue eyes or striking looks to win him any sympathy after that underwear comment, she met his stare head on, "If a pair of red panties are spank bank worthy, maybe your reputation isn't as risque as you'd like everyone to believe."
"Only when you're the one wearing them," he assured her, before leaning in close enough that the fabric of their clothes were brushing against each other, "Though I have to admit that I prefer the blue lace."
Elena shoved him away with a blush, trying not to recall the night he was referencing.
Talk about risque...
"Prefer what you like," she shot, loud enough for the others to hear, "but if you're through staring, Caroline and I need to get going."
Damon bit his lip, looking entirely too good doing so, which was surely his point, and she tried not to remember the way that soft flesh felt between her own teeth.
"See you at the party," he murmured, "And maybe you'll reconsider the blue ones."
With a sarcastic smirk, she reached up and patted his cheek, "Yeah, and maybe hell will freeze over."
She climbed into her car as he chuckled, Caroline following her lead, and before long they were pulling out, leaving Damon and the others smirking after them.
"I wish the two of you would just screw already," Caroline decided as they left the parking lot.
Elena's eyes shot to her, "Who, me and Damon?"
"Don't sound so surprised," her friend defended, "You could boil water with the heat the two of you throw off."
Elena rolled her eyes again, "He's a ass."
"He's hot."
"And he knows it."
Caroline shrugged, "Confidence looks good on him."
"Damon isn't confident, Care, he's cocky."
"But he's pretty."
Elena sighed, "You sleep with him, then."
Caroline laughed, "Hey, it wasn't my underwear he was checking out!"
Elena shook her head, "He's a complication. And I have enough of those in my life already."
"If you say so," Caroline shrugged, letting the topic drop; moving on instead, to another one, "You know, I really do I love this car."
She settled deeply into the passenger's seat as Elena turned down a road.
"Is that why you insist on me driving everywhere?" she teased lightheartedly.
Caroline gave her a look, "Hey, I agreed to drive out to the party, didn't I? Though I do wish you would reconsider. Every time I get in this thing, I never want to get out! You're so lucky that you're parents are rich!"
Elena smiled sarcastically, "Yep, that's me. Living proof that money does indeed buy happiness."
"You know what I meant," her friend straightened as she ran her hand over the interior, "I don't have a single problem that money could not immediately fix!"
"There are things that matter more," Elena assured her.
Caroline laughed, "Says the girl who got a Mercedes for her seventeenth birthday this summer! Such luxury must really be a burden."
Elena forced a smile, but chose not to comment, and for the rest of the ride, Caroline filled the silence with ideas she had for the new car she planned on getting after graduation the following year.
When they pulled into Caroline's driveway, the two hugged.
"I'll pick you up in about an hour, okay?"
Elena nodded, "I'll be ready. Are you sneaking out, or is your mom working tonight?"
"She's at work, but I told her I was going to Dad's anyway, and she hates talking to him, so she won't bother checking in. You?"
"I'm going to a study group."
Caroline laughed at that, "Of course you are! I can't believe they're still buying that line."
She shrugged, "Makes things easier."
"I'm sure. Okay then, I'll text you when I'm on my way. Oh, and Tyler mentioned that Mason was going to be home with some college friends, so wear something pretty!"
Elena rolled her eyes, "College boys are your fantasy, Care. Not mine."
Now the blonde was shrugging, but at least she had managed to get out of the car, "Either way, it doesn't hurt to look hot!"
Elena shook her head as her friend shut the car door and bounced off toward her house.
As usual, her own house was quiet when she arrived.
After stepping into the foyer and setting her keys on the vanity, she took a look around.
The familiar silence was comforting.
Silence meant that her father was still at work.
Not that that should come as a surprise; he spent most of his time working at the hospital, whether he was needed there or not.
She didn't really blame him, actually, she was grateful for it.
His absence on a usual night meant that she wouldn't have to put in her headphones with her music playing on the loudest setting to help drown out the inevitable arguing that always managed to echo down the hall.
That was of course assuming that her parents could manage to stay in the same room with each other for longer than ten minutes.
On the nights they couldn't, the silence was loaded with all the things they weren't saying, or had said too many times already.
So absence was better.
"Mom?" she called out, making her way through the foyer and into the living room.
Her mother wasn't there, but a half empty glass of wine was on the side table, next to a completely emptied bottle.
Elena, who knew just how much of a clean neatfreak her mother was, saw this indiscretion for exactly what it was meant to be.
A tool to get a rise out of Grayson whenever he finally managed to get home, giving them yet something else to fight about.
With a sigh, she walked over and grabbed both objects, then headed for the kitchen.
She threw the bottle away, and poured the rest of the glass out into the sink, before rinsing it and putting it in the dishwasher.
Proof gone. Fight averted.
She leaned back against the spotless counter.
The single dish in the washer was the only flaw in the entirety of the kitchen, thanks to the cleaners Miranda had come by three days a week, and with nothing left to occupy her hands, Elena started down the hall and up the stairs.
Her parent's bedroom door was cracked, a good sign that her mother had turned in for the night, but just to be sure, Elena peeked inside.
Sure enough, Miranda was passed out, under silk sheets that barely seemed to crease.
The rest of the room was in perfect order as well, nothing on the floor and tomorrow's work clothes hanging on the outside of the walk in closet.
Even drunk, her mother managed to stay organized; curlers in her hair, and her face completely washed clean of makeup.
Elena closed the door and continued down the hallway.
Her room was almost as spotless as her parents', give or take a few hair ties on the dresser.
She quickly put them in their correct place as well, stepping into the bathroom to do so, and caught sight of her reflection.
Bright brown eyes stared back at her, identical to her mother's, and her ponytail had let a few loose strands of hair fall around her face.
Pulling the mess down, she ran a brush through it and tried to focus on what she was going to wear to the party.
Half of her wanted to ignore Caroline's advice and just go in what she was already wearing, but the other half of her knew that a night like this was the only time that she had to truly wear anything she wanted without fear of being judged, or having her parents find out.
As a Gilbert, a certain image was expected to be maintained, and after everything that had happened with Katherine...
Elena stopped the thought before it could form, scolding herself.
No. You aren't going to think about your sister right now. That was years ago. It doesn't matter anymore.
She repeated these words in her head until she could almost believe them, then distracted herself by pulling a few outfits out of her closet, all of which Caroline would definitely approve of.
She set them on the bed, then took a moment to fix her hair and makeup until she decided she was presentable.
Then she started a load of laundry, tossing in her uniform and wrote a quick note, just in case her father did come home, explaining that she was staying with Caroline to study.
Once that was finished, she went back to her room, eyeing her wardrobe choices, before settling on the one that seemed most appropriate for a kegger in the woods.
It didn't escape her notice these very jeans were the ones she'd been wearing that night in August, when a stuffy summer Founder's meeting had ended up with her and Damon Salvatore in one of the Fell's mansion supply closets, hands roaming, lips grazing, and teeth nipping at each other's skin.
It had been a poor decision on her part, prompted by boredom and annoyance at her parent's latest argument, but she couldn't deny that she'd thought about it a few times over the passing months since that night.
Damon had never directly brought it up, but he liked to tease her with it occasionally, especially now that school and football were in full swing and they were constantly within each other's proximity.
She tried to ignore his lewd comments and double edged statements, but sometimes she'd catch that look in his eyes.
The look that had led her into that closet with him in the first place, and her skin would grown warm with the promise of how good giving into him would feel.
But she couldn't give in.
Damon was a trouble that brought up attention neither she or her family needed and she didn't want to be responsible for bringing back the spotlight her parents had been working to force away from them.
Showing any semblance of interest in the Salvatore black sheep would definitely turn some heads their way.
Like she'd told Caroline, Damon was a complication she didn't need.
She knew this.
And yet, before getting dressed, she couldn't help but change into a certain pair of navy blue laced panties.
"For the millionth time, you look fine!" Elena insisted, as they were walking toward the sound of music, out in the woods behind Tyler's house.
Caroline was readjusting the top of her dress, yet again, exposing more and more cleavage each time.
"You clearly don't remember the last time Mason was in town," Caroline shot back, "Or how hot his friends were."
Elena shook her head a little, but managed not to comment.
"Besides, we can't all be as flawless as you!" Caroline teased, "I'm totally loving that top, by the way! It's hot!"
Elena glanced down at her ensemble.
A flowy shirt that laces up the front to show a decent amount of skin, paired with those dark skinny jeans and her favorite ankle boots.
She'd brought a jacket as well, but the fall air hadn't quite turned cold enough to merit needing to wear it.
"I'm certainly not complaining," someone else said.
She turned to see Damon walking up behind them, his brother at his side.
Recent memories in mind, Elena blushed a little at the sight of him in his signature leather jacket.
"Hasn't anyone ever told you that it's rude to eavesdrop?" she scolded, reaching back to lightly punch his arm.
Then she smiled at the younger Salvatore, "Hey, Stefan."
"Ignore him," he offered for his brother, "He thinks he's funnier than he actually is."
She smirked as Damon lifted a hand to his chest, feigning offence, "Speaking of rude."
Stefan shrugged and Damon brushed him off, choosing instead to throw his arm over Elena's shoulder, "You think I'm funny, don't you Gilbert?"
"Hmm?" she pretended to ponder, then drove her elbow back into his rib, "Not really."
He pulled his arm back quick enough, while the other two laughed.
"Serves you right," Caroline shot, then Damon made his way over to her, dropping his own opinion about her dress as Stefan came up to Elena.
"I'm surprised to see you here."
"Likewise," she smiled, "Don't you know that only hooligans and burn outs come to these things?"
"Parents words?"
She smirked, "Sheriff Forbes, actually. She likes to give me and Caroline speeches when she gets tired of punk kids vandalizing the town's historical monuments."
"Oh shit, they found the graffiti on the Fell crypt?" Damon jumped back into the conversation.
"No," Caroline answered, "She's talking about the dicks someone painted on the bridge over the- wait...the Fell crypt?! You guys are decimating graves now? Seriously?!"
Damon held up a hand to defend himself as they walked, "Okay, first of all, we all know that no one is actually buried in the Fell Crypt. The Fell's bought it to be a big shiny beacon over the entire cemetery so that even in death they can pretend that they are the superior founding family."
Elena snickered at that, and he gave her a wink before continuing, "And second, if I did know who graffitied it, which I'm not saying that I do, I think that they should actually be given a reward for making that eyesore more bearable to look at."
"And the bridge?" Caroline pressed.
"Oh that one was just to win a bet," he explained nonchalantly.
Caroline made a disgusted noise, "I will never understand the brains of highschool boys."
The easy banter continued as they joined the throngs of students, high school and college age alike, that had gathered around the roaring bonfires just past the tree line.
"I'm going to get a drink," Caroline announced, her eyes scanning over the groups of people, "And maybe a few numbers while I'm at it. Wanna come?"
Elena made a face, "I'm fine silently supporting your adventurism from the sidelines."
Caroline pouted for a millisecond, then turned to the boys, "Stefan?"
The youngest Salvatore nodded his head with an amused smile, and followed after her; leaving Elena alone.
Well, almost alone.
"I'm impressed," Damon said from his place beside her.
She looked up at him, "With what?"
"With your determination to cling onto that image of perfection that seems to shroud the Gilbert name," he teased, moving so that he was standing directly in front of her.
She arched a brow, "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about."
"Yeah, you do," he insisted with a smirk, "That whole I'm-an-innocent-goody-two-shoe vibe you got going. Even though we both know that it's a lie."
She made a face, ignoring his last comment, "There's nothing wrong with not wanting a drink."
"No," he allowed, "But not unless the reason is to have everyone fooled."
"Fooled?" she repeated, fighting the urge to cross her arms.
Damon nodded, "It's not like you don't know your image. Elena Gilbert. The good girl. She doesn't curse, she doesn't hook up, she never wears anything more revealing than that damn cheer uniform...and now you're turning down free alcohol. Like I said, I'm impressed by your commitment to the charade."
She narrowed her gaze, "Or maybe I just don't want to drink."
"Don't you ever wonder what it's like to live a little?" he teased, "Let loose some? I recall you having a little fun the last time you tried it."
Elena rolled her eyes, "I think you and I have a very different definition of the word fun. Besides, I'm here, aren't I? Talking to you, no less. Consider that an effort made."
He laughed, "Babe, your body being here doesn't count if you aren't going to engage in even the simplest forms of high school rebellions."
She glanced over toward the keg a group of guys were taking turns doing handstands on.
If that was the only fun the night had to offer, maybe Damon was right and she was just wasting her time even being here.
"Speaking of rebelling a little...you know, I could help you with that…shuck off some of that good girl rep," he was taunting her, closer now, and she looked up to stare right into those ice blue eyes.
With a light smile, she placed a hand on his chest, spreading her fingers across the expansion of his pec.
Then she pushed him back a full step, making him stumble, "Screw you, Salvatore."
After adjusting his balance, he grinned, "Now there's an idea. Maybe we'll get the chance to finish what we started this summer."
"You're an ass," she retorted, "There. A curse word. Satisfied?"
"It's a start," he approved, still smirking, "Not nearly rebel enough to qualify as having fun, but we can fix that. Let me get you a drink."
Elena shook her head at his persistence.
"Why?" she challenged, "So I'll lower my inhibition enough for you to have your way with me again? I think I'll pass."
"Oh, so now you're blaming the alcohol for our time together at the Fell's?" he straightened, seeming intimidatingly taller now.
"Well, we did have that champagne," she reasoned, and his expression tightened.
"One glass. Not even enough for you to be tipsy off of."
She sighed, relaxing the charade, "I'm not blaming the alcohol, Damon. What we did...I wanted to do it."
"But," she added, before he could look too pleased with himself, "That doesn't mean I should have. You and me...it's a mistake."
His brows furrowed, "Regret. Don't know it, but I hear it can be a real bitch. Is that why you keep pretending it didn't happen?"
"I'm not pretending anything," she assured him.
"Yeah, right," he accused, "I'll bet you haven't told a single person about it. Not even your Barbie bestie."
Elena bit her lip, "So what? It's not anyone else's business. And it's not going to happen again…"
She met his stare when she said this, wondering if she even believed her own words.
If she truly meant them, then why the hell had she put on the panties he wanted?
Did she want him to see them? To know she'd worn them because he'd asked?
Did she wear them just because he had asked?
She wasn't sure.
And before she could decide, Damon had moved, his body closing in on her until her back was against the trunk of a tree and she could feel his warm breath on her cheek.
Her gaze dropped to the ground.
He was calling her bluff and she was a second away from throwing all caution into the wind.
"Don't," she muttered feebily.
Damon's chest brushed against her when he inhaled, "Why not?"
Why not?
A thousand answers ran through her mind, but the second she looked up at him, they all went mute.
Damon was warm and daring, sexy as hell, and everything she wasn't supposed to want.
But she did. God, did she want to feel him against her again, teasing and coaxing, making her forget everything but his name on her lips.
And from the burning stare he was giving her now, he wanted the same thing.
"Elena," he exhaled, and the sound of her name in his gravelly whisper cut loose the few strands of self control she still possessed.
She reached up and grabbed his neck, her nails piercing his skin as she dragged his mouth to hers.
Then he was leaning into her, pinning her between him and the tree, kissing her hard enough to make the world explode around her.
It was everything she remembered and more, now that they weren't encumbered by the small cramped space of a broom cupboard.
Damon's palm slid down her thigh, gripping her ass as he lifted her, wrapping her around his waist.
He was erect against her core and she groaned into his mouth when he rubbed into her.
"Shit," he hissed, when she dragged her teeth across his bottom lip, hard enough to draw blood, "This is even better than before."
"Stop talking," she ordered, trying to bring him back to her mouth.
He kissed her again, a bit of a smile on his lips, "Eager, are we?"
"Damon," she groaned, contracting her legs tighter around his waist, "Shut up and kiss me."
"To what end?" he demanded, his hips moving just enough to drive her wild, "Because I remember you hitting the stop button pretty abruptly once things got too far past your comfort zone."
She wished he would just drop it.
Kissing was so much better than talking about what they'd done before and why she'd pulled away once his hand slipped past her pants.
Talking meant thinking and thinking meant time to realize that she was probably doing something stupid, and she didn't want to think about stupid choices or their consequences right now.
Damon, however, was relentless, "I won't make you do anything. But before we cross that line, you need to be sure you're okay with me fucking you here in the woods, where anyone could stumble upon us."
His words sobered her a little.
Right. The party.
They were half shrouded by the darkness of the trees, but it wouldn't be hard for someone to wander up.
Especially if Caroline or Stefan began looking for them.
Damn it.
"Not that it would matter either way to me," Damon assured her, his voice a whisper against her ear, "I've been thinking about that tight pussy of yours since August."
Elena blushed and maneuvered so that he would let her slide back to her feet.
"Don't call it that," she scolded him, thankful he was still holding her because she was likely to stumble without the support of his arms.
"What?" he provoked, "Pussy?"
She blushed again, "Damon."
He set his jaw into a hard line, "Fine. I've been thinking of how good your vagina would feel contracting around my fingers, my tongue, and my penis during sexual intercourse, where we both build up to mutually satisfying orgasmic bliss. Is that better?"
Looking at his expectant face, still flushed from their kissing, she couldn't help but giggle, "Surprisingly dirtier, actually."
His expression thawed into a light smile, "You drive me crazy, Gilbert."
"I make you crazy?" she prompted, "This is the second time I've let you goad me into a compromising situation, in public, no less. What the hell is wrong with me?"
He chuckled, running the back of his knuckles over her cheek, which actually felt nice.
"You have needs, babe. There's nothing wrong with that," he ran a finger down her nose, and across her lips, "I just wish you'd let me take care of them."
"Why?" she challenged, "You you can tell everyone that you finally banged the good girl?"
His brow arched at that, "Did I say anything to anyone about August?"
Now that he mentioned it…
"No. You didn't," she realized, "Why didn't you?"
"Because," he echoed her statement from earlier, "It's nobody else's business. Some guys screw around for brownie points. I do it because it feels good. That's it."
She couldn't deny that it did feel amazing, and they had barely touched third base.
She also realized then that everything she'd heard about Damon's sex life came from the girls he'd been with.
Never actually from him.
She wasn't sure what to think about that.
"I can make you feel good too," he promised, his eyes darkening again.
Elena's breath caught and once again, she felt her conscious tear in half.
However, before she could make a decision, or let Damon make it for her with those pouty lips of his, she heard her name being called.
"Damn. That's Caroline," she muttered, and Damon took a step back.
The air was cold and harsh in the distance he put between their bodies.
"Damn," he agreed.
By the time Elena was leaving the party, she had decided that it was a good thing she and Damon had stopped where they had.
Losing her virginity publicly in the woods wasn't the most ideal situation and she doubted that she would have walked away from that without any regrets.
Instead she was walking away with...well, nothing.
Just a lot of empty nothing.
Though perhaps walking was the wrong term to use.
Technically she was driving.
More specifically, she was driving Caroline's car, which the girl had guiltily insisted on once she'd decided to hook up with Tyler for the night.
Elena was glad now that she had refused any drinks, and could drive home safely.
Her parents knew that she was "studying" with Caroline, and she knew that they never checked her room before leaving for work at a god awful early hour, so she felt safe parking her friend's car in the driveway.
What she didn't know, however, was that both her mother and father would be awake when she walked into the house.
She heard their voices echoing from the upstairs, stern and angry as they yelled at each other over God knows what this time.
Elena tried to ignore it as she shut the door behind her and started through the foyer.
She hesitated at the bottom of the stairs, catching some words from the argument.
"This is why Katherine left, Grayson! You pushing us all away with all your work hours and your excuses!"
"Katherine left because she was spoiled and ungrateful for everything we gave her! You were always too soft on her! At least Elena has some common sense!"
"Oh, how would you know?! You're never here to see her! If you could just-"
And on it went.
Elena closed her eyes, as the insults escalated and ripped into the thin shreds of the marriage that was barely holding together.
At least Elena has some common sense.
The good girl. The doctor's perfect daughter. The nice one. The quiet one. The good one.
She wasn't Katherine.
She couldn't disappear into the middle of the night, never to be heard from again.
But oh, how she wished she could!
How she wished the floor would open up here and now and swallow her whole.
She was tired. So tired of it all.
The charade, Damon had called it; and he was right. All she ever did in this damn town was pretend.
Pretend like she was perfect. Pretend like all that mattered to her was her grades, committees, and family name.
She straightened her hair, wore minimal makeup, crossed her legs, and dotted all her i's to perfection.
Outside of this house, she was the image of everything her family was supposed to represent.
If only the town could see them like this.
Shattered, angry, ripping at the seams.
As she blinked back the tears in her eyes, she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror that was hanging on the wall.
She didn't look perfect tonight.
Her hair was a wild mess, her makeup smudged at the corners of her eyes, her clothes wrinkled and smelling of bonfire smoke.
Her lips were swollen from Damon's kisses, and her eyes were swelling from the tears she was holding back.
This was similar to the reflection that often stared at her from the bathroom mirror every morning, before she'd forced her appearance into something decent; something worthy of a Gilbert.
This was what she looked like when the charade slipped and there wasn't a damn person who had ever seen behind the mask.
Well...maybe there was one.
Baby blue eyes filled her mind, along with his teasing grin, and before Elena could stop herself, she was moving.
Uncharacteristically running from her home, shutting the door behind her, doubting her parents would even hear it past their screaming.
She jumped in Caroline's car, since the keys were still pressed firmly against her palm, and had pulled out of her driveway before anyone had even realized she'd been there at all.
This was stupid, she told herself over and over.
But tonight, she didn't care.
Tonight, she didn't want to be the perfect good girl.
She wanted to feel something real, and she knew exactly where to go; in fact, finding his house was easy.
Damon didn't live in the Salvatore Manor with his father and half-brother.
Instead he lived across town, in a simple double wide, with his mother, Lily.
Elena knew the woman worked two jobs, something Damon had mentioned before, and she hoped that she wouldn't be home now; and that Damon would be.
She parked on the street in front of the trailer, thankful that this area was far enough outside of town that the night was quiet and the road was empty.
There was only one car parked in the small drive, an old blue camaro that Damon drove, and Elena both relaxed and grew nervous at the sight of it.
Did she really want to do this?
She thought of her parents, of Katherine, and of the part she was being forced to play.
The only one who hadn't given a single care in the world about any of it, was Damon.
He'd called her on the bullshit of it all, and offered her an escape, however minute it might be.
It was up to her to take it.
She got out of the car and jogged over to his doorstep with more confidence than she felt.
She knocked before she could lose her nerve and didn't stop until she heard the lock being pulled.
When the door opened, Damon stood on the other side, in nothing but a pair of sweatpants.
Elena eyed his naked torso with appreciation before meeting his gaze.
He didn't appear overly tired, so she doubted he'd been to bed yet, which made her feel a little better about what she was wanting from him.
Damon didn't say anything as she stood in front of him, chest heaving with each breath as her stomach clenched with nerves.
Then his head inclined, just slightly, inviting her in.
She stepped over the threshold without hesitation.
The house was even smaller on the inside than it appeared exteriorly, and Elena realized that while she'd driven by the place plenty of times, she'd never actually been inside.
There were pictures on the walls, mostly of Damon at different ages, and Elena smiled at a few of the baby ones while he shut and locked the door behind her.
When she felt his gaze boring into her skull, she forced herself to turn, knowing he'd probably want an explanation for what she was doing at his house at this hour of the night.
Or maybe he already knew.
There was something in the way he was looking at her that made her think that he just might.
She stepped toward him, placing her hands on his chest, "Damon…"
"You sure?"
Her throat felt tight, so she nodded instead of answering.
His hands lifted to the sides of her neck, his thumb brushing against the length of her throat.
"I thought you said this was a mistake," he argued halfheartedly.
"It probably is," she decided, her eyes wandering down to his lips, "And now we're going to make an even bigger one."
Damon didn't need anymore permission than that.
They shot together like magnets, kissing and groping, bumping into walls and tripping as they stumbled across the room, Damon leading her somewhere down the narrow hallway beyond it.
He pulled away to open a door, which she assumed would open to his bedroom.
She was right.
It was small, and masculine, and smelled like him.
Her eyes honed in on the bed that was tucked into the corner.
"So this is where you put that spank bank to use," she couldn't help but tease him as she made her way to the corner of the mattress and sat down.
Damon smirked dangerously, stepping into the room, "You have a smart mouth, Gilbert, and I can think of about a million other ways to put it to use."
She flushed at that statement, being reminded of her inexperience, and prayed to the heavens that she wouldn't make a fool of herself.
"What do you want me to do?" she asked him, more genuinely now, and something flickered on Damon's face.
He stared at her for a moment, making her blush again, before coming closer and scooping her face into his hands.
He kissed her, nipping her lip as he pulled away slowly, making her groan.
"Take off your clothes," he ordered softly, "Let me see you."
Holding onto whatever bravery she had left, Elena did as he'd said and pulled her shirt over her head.
She hesitated on her jeans, then proceeded to pull them down as well.
"Fuck, babe," Damon's mouth fell open slightly when he took in the sight of her lacy blue panties.
Throwing him off guard renewed her confidence and she smiled a little as she stood before him in nothing but her bra and panties.
"Is this what you wanted?" she asked, teasingly now, running her hands across the blue waistband.
Damon's expression was hard now, his eyes focused on hers as he stepped forward and put his hands on her hips, fingers digging, "Elena, you're sure you want to do this?"
"You're gonna kill the vibe if you keep asking," she warned him, and he chuckled, "I just want to be certain."
"I'm sure," she promised him, "I want to do this. And if it is a mistake, I want to make it with you."
He studied her face, looking for affirmation, and whatever he found must have been enough, because in the next second, he had her in his arms and was tossing her onto the bed.
"Then get ready for the most mind blowing night of your life, Gilbert."
She smiled tracing his face with her fingertips, "All talk, Damon? I want to see action."
"Again, with the mouth," he said with warning, before kissing her harshly.
Elena moaned against his lips, especially when his tongue slipped into her mouth, forcing her to open up beneath him.
Then her hand was drifting down his torso, pausing on his waistband.
His teeth caught her lip when she slipped past it, brushing over his cloth covered bulge.
She squeezed it slightly, "Make that a big mistake."
He growled against her mouth, "Just remember babe, you chose this mistake."
His pulled away from her then, just enough to slip his sweatpants down, and Elena swallowed as Damon's hard erection was revealed.
She'd seen one before. A...penis? Cock? Dick? What the hell was she even supposed to call it in this situation?
She'd seen them accidently, walking into the boy's locker room, but from what she could recall, none of them had been built like this.
Or maybe Damon just seemed bigger because of where she knew that thing of his was about to go.
"I...I don't think that's going to fit," she told him, too intimidated to be embarrassed.
"It will," Damon reassured her, with a quiet laugh, "Trust me."
He kissed her again and she tried to relax.
It seemed impossible though, especially when he reached around to unsnap her bra and pulled the straps down her arms.
He'd felt her up in the closet, but having him see her, like this...that was a different story completely.
However, he didn't seem disappointed.
In fact, she felt his...dick...jump a little at the sight of her exposed chest and his mouth followed his gaze to her sensitive nipples.
Elena moaned as he took her into his mouth, his tongue lapping at the newly exposed flesh, his teeth pinching her in a way that made her wet between her thighs.
"Damon," she gasped as he gripped her, mouth sucking deeply, giving her as much pain as pleasure.
He kissed across her chest then, biting the soft skin at random, and down to her stomach, until he reached the blue panties.
"I'm keeping these," he told her as he began to pull them down with care, sliding her legs free one at a time.
Elena tried to control her breathing as she was completely bared before him for the first time, but Damon didn't waste any time.
The moment her panties were gone, he was between her legs and his mouth was on her aching core.
"Ohmygod," she moaned out as he went to work on her clit, his tongue hot and purposeful against her.
His arms looped around her thighs, pulling her closer as he devoured her with a ferocity that made her want to scream.
When his fingers slipped inside of her, stroking and stretching, she did scream.
Her climax was building fast, so much stronger than the ones she'd ever been able to coax from herself, and Damon's name fell from her lips in a mantra.
He stopped, just as she reached the edge; much to her dismay.
"No," she protested, "Please...I'm so...I'm-"
"I know," he kissed the inside of her thigh, "And I want to be inside you when you do."
His hands gripped her hips roughly, and flipped her over onto her stomach, before dragging her back.
When her ass came against his dick, she flinched without meaning to.
"You're going to feel so good," he purred from behind her, reaching for something on the dresser, "I just know it."
She heard a ripping sound, and realized then that he was putting on a condom.
This was really about to happen.
She felt the tip of him rub against her entrance, sliding half a centimeter in.
Her body tensed, and Damon felt it.
"If you wanna turn back-"
"No," she assured him, "I...I want to do this."
She felt him at her entrance again, and this time, he pushed in a little.
Again, her body clammed up against the invasion, her muscles going stiff as her lower body tensed.
Damon paused, "Elena?"
She exhaled, "Yeah?"
"Have you...are you...you've done this before, right?" his words were hesitant, as if he wasn't sure he should be asking them.
She glanced over her shoulder at him, "Will you just do it?"
Instead of encouraging him, her words backed him off, "You're fucking joking."
"Damon-"
"You're a virgin?"
She sighed in exasperation, "Does it matter?"
When he didn't reply, she turned her torso to look at him fully, "I want to do this, Damon."
He hesitated, then laid his hand on her hip, urging her to roll over.
She did so and when her back hit the mattress, Damon landed in the cradle of her hips, his body pushing her legs apart as he rested his weight on his elbows.
"You should have told me before."
"Does it make a difference?" she challenged, scared that he was about to change his mind and kick her out.
"I don't want to hurt you," he told her instead, "And if I'd fucked you the way I like to fuck…"
"Just do it," she urged, and Damon shook his head, "I like it rough, Elena, but I'm not going to hurt you."
But it wasn't hurting, exactly.
Everything he'd done to her was exactly what she'd come here for.
It was warm and real and each roll of pleasure or slice of pain made her feel connected and alive.
"What if I want it to hurt?" she asked, shivering as his jaw flexed with the question.
"Elena-"
"Just...fuck me, Damon. Don't worry about being gentle. I can take it."
His tongue ran over his lips, once, twice, then once more, as the moment between them dragged.
Until, finally, he nodded and relaxed his body onto hers.
Elena grabbed his face and kissed him soundly, hoping the feeling of their tongues dancing together would reassure him that she was completely on board with this.
His erection was almost where she needed him most, brushing against her core as they moved together.
Then Damon reached between their bodies, lining himself up.
"Breathe," he instructed, helping guide the head of his dick into her.
Elena gasped as he began to fill her, everything in her stretching to accommodate his size.
"Fuck," he hissed out, "You're tight, babe. So tight around me."
She could only whimper and sigh out a moan as he moved further, sliding slowly through her slick heat as her body contracted around him.
The pain was there, just enough to make her heart race, but minimal compared to others she'd heard about.
Cheerleading had broken her hymen years ago, so at least that part wouldn't be an issue as she adjusted.
She shifted a little, and Damon let out a strained laugh, "I'm not even in and you're already squirming around."
That surprised her, "You aren't even in?"
The way she was stretched around him, full and pinched, made her think he was lying.
Then he thrusted forward, bringing their hips together, and she realized how wrong she was.
A cry escaped her lips at the sudden invasion, and she wondered if she wasn't being split in half down there.
Damon kissed away her moans and swivelled his hips a little.
The friction lit her entire body on fire.
"Relax, Elena," he advised, "It'll be better for you that way."
She tried to do as he said, and gripped his biceps as a form of pressure while willing the rest of her body to lay slack.
The pain subsided a little and soon he was moving more freely, sliding in and out of her with ease, making her feel more than she ever thought was possible.
The movement made her even more slick and before long she was rocking with him, meeting his thrusts, stretching easier each time he pushed in.
Their hips rolled and pressed as Damon's hands tangled up into her hair, and he kissed her deeply, imprinting his body onto hers.
Elena felt her climax start to build again, different than before; deeper and more powerful.
Her entire body seemed to tighten with the need for a release.
Damon groaned above her, feeling her contract and enjoyed every bit of it.
"Fuck," he mumbled against the skin of her neck, where he'd buried his face, "You're grabbing onto me so good, babe."
The dirty words in her ear were doing the trick, driving her higher and higher to her peak.
Damon thrusted harder now, reaching deeper with every thrust, until he was pounding mercilessly into her body.
"Damon!" she gasped when she felt the waves of pleasure hit her.
"Cum for me," he ordered, reaching down to stroke her clit, which threw her over the edge at full force.
Her orgasm crashed around her, robbing her breath and bringing out a string of profanities she hadn't even realized were in her vocabulary.
Damon followed quickly after, releasing into her with a few shallow thrusts, before pulling out and slipping off the condom.
Elena collapsed onto the bed as he disposed of it and she felt the mattress dip down next to her when he returned.
She tried to find something to say to him, but drew a blank, her brain still trying to focus on regaining her breath.
"You cursed," Damon spoke first, "A lot."
She looked over at him and they both burst out laughing.
And it had felt like forever since she felt the level of calm that was now spreading through her body.
"Thank you," she told him, once they sobered, "For tonight."
He inched closer to her, his fingers trailing over her exposed skin, "I was surprised when you showed up. What changed your mind?"
Elena shook her head and rolled over so she could bury herself into Damon's embrace.
He held her in his arms as if it were the most natural thing, bringing up his blanket to cover her with.
"I'm not perfect," she said, after a moment of silence.
"What?"
She looked up at him, "I'm not the perfect good girl that everyone thinks I am. My parents...my family...they aren't perfect."
She figured the protocol for post sex conversation wasn't to dump all your problems onto your lover, but Elena couldn't stop the words from pouring out, now that she had started to say them.
"My dad works all the time, just to avoid coming home, and my mom is drinking more and more, trying to cope and just trying to piss him off. They're always screaming and fighting when we're at home. They hate each other. But in public-"
"They're the perfect couple," Damon finished for her, "The perfect parents."
She nodded, "And I have to pretend that it's true. I have to support that image, because if I don't, I'm no better than Katherine."
"Your sister?" Damon asked.
Like everyone in Mystic Falls, he'd heard of the eldest Gilbert daughter.
Elena nodded, "The whole town thinks she's off at some Ivy League college or some prestigious study abroad program and that's why she never comes home."
He had heard those stories, "But...she's not?"
Elena shrugged, "To be honest, we have no idea."
"If she's at school?"
"If she's anywhere at all," she elaborated, "After she graduated, she left. She left a note saying goodbye, but she didn't say where she was going or what her plans were. I don't know if she's still in the state, or the country, or even alive for that matter."
Damon frowned, "I know your sister was a bit of a free spirit, but why would she-"
"Because she wasn't perfect," Elena swallowed thickly, "Kat tried. But she couldn't be what my Mom and Dad wanted her to be. They were killing her, Damon. Strangling the life right out of her until she couldn't take it anymore. She ran as soon as she got the chance."
Tears pooled in Elena's eyes and she felt Damon's finger run across her cheek, catching one as it fell.
"I'm sorry," he murmured.
Elena closed her eyes, "I used to hate her for it. Can you believe that? I used to hate that she got away and I didn't. That she left me here to take her place. Kat got freedom, and me? I get to be the perfect daughter, with the perfect life, and the perfect family, while behind closed doors, it's all falling apart."
She suppressed a sob and wiped at her eyes, not wanting to lose it here.
Damon squeezed her tighter against him, his lips brushing against her forehead as silence fell between them again.
Elena felt relief in her chest. The secret her family was harboring not weighing down so heavily on it.
"It's all an act," Damon said, finally."
"Hmh?"
"This whole Founders thing," he told her, "None of them are who they say they are. It's all about the appearance."
Elena considered that, "Caroline's mom is one of us. She isn't an act."
"She's one of the few," he assured her, "Most of them are faking it."
Elena considered then that Damon might actually have some personal experience in dealing with this kind of thing.
"Like you're dad is," she guessed, and felt him stiffen.
"Yeah," he said eventually, "He is."
Elena waited, letting Damon know with her silence that he was welcome to unload on her as she had on him.
It took a moment, but then he said, "He hates me. He hates what I represent. He wanted Mom to abort me when she first told him, and even offered to pay her off to do so. She refused."
Elena blinked, having never heard that part of the story before, "Wow."
"You have my name. But you're not my son. I was seven when he told me that," Damon paused, "I mean, it's not quite a secret sister runaway scandal, but I'd definitely say it ranks a close second."
Elena, who's eyebrows had shot up her face, pulled away from him, "Are you kidding? That one totally takes the top! How in the hell could your dad say that to you?!"
Damon seemed surprised by her concern and simply shrugged, "I don't know. But it's his truth. My mom and I are a walking reminder of his infidelity. We're the black stain on his name."
"That was his sin," she frowned, "To take it out on you is horrible."
"It's the price we pay for being a member of a Founding Family. If we'd been born a regular citizen, no one would give a fuck about our parents' image. Including our parents."
Elena shook her head, "I've always hated being a Gilbert."
"Being a Salvatore ain't no picnic either," he assured her, "And don't let the Fells and Lockwoods fool you. They're all shams with secrets."
"Every happy family is unhappy in their own way," Elena quoted with a small smile.
Damon smirked, "Exactly."
"It's a wonder we're all still sane."
Damon chuckled, "Are we?"
Elena yawned heavily, feeling exhausted now that she had released all the tension in her body, "Ask me tomorrow?"
She felt him nod, before his lips pressed against hers one more time.
"Goodnight, Elena."
"Goodnight, Damon."
They fell asleep like that, naked and exposed, in more ways than physical; holding each other like it could make a difference.
Because tonight, she wasn't the Gilbert's perfect daughter, and he wasn't the Salvatore bastard.
They were just two kids in a small town, who understood each other in ways they had barely began to even realize.
They knew that morning would come, and their moment would end; but for now, they were safe in the dark, wrapped up in one another.
Quiet, and safe, as their perfectly broken pieces fit together; finally making them feel a little bit whole again.
Then end! Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm working on EOV and Anthem right now! Will try to update them soon!